In 2023, 20,418 deaths were recorded on the roads of the European Union, a decrease of 1% compared to 2022. A drop that is far from the 6.1% per year needed to reach the EU objective of halving deaths by 2030 compared to to 2019.
Decrease in victims only in 18 out of 32 countries
According to the annual report of the Road Safety Performance Index of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), of which the Automobile Club of Italy is part, for our country, only 18 of the 32 monitored countries recorded a decrease in road deaths in 2023 compared to the previous year. The best results were obtained by Malta (-38%), Luxembourg (-27%), Belgium (-11%) and Hungary (-10%). On the contrary, an increase was recorded in 12 countries, with peaks of 33% in Lithuania and 26% in Latvia.
Casualty reduction too low
Compared to 2019, the reference year for the EU objective, the average reduction in deaths on European roads in the last decade was only 13%. Italy, with a decrease of 21%, ranks 21st among the 27 EU countries.
The ETSC calls for the establishment of a European Road Safety Agency, the review of vehicle safety regulations and the introduction of new rules for the periodic inspection of vehicles, to guarantee their efficiency and safety throughout the their useful life.
The strategy
“Road safety must become a priority again,” said Antonio Avenoso, Director of the ETSC. In the last 5 years, 100,000 people have died on EU roads and the same number will die in the next 5 if decisive action is not taken.
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